"So that's how it is…"
Hatake Sakumo let out a quiet sigh. For a moment, he felt a bitter sense of irony—he had spent his entire life as a tool for the village, and now even in death, he wasn't allowed any peace.
Seeing his mood sink again, Feiyu paused, then spoke carefully:
"Sakumo-senpai, I understand it's hard to accept having your soul bound. But think about it another way—doesn't this mean you get to live again?"
"You've already fulfilled every obligation you had to Konoha. From now on, you don't need to worry about missions or duty. You can finally live for yourself."
He leaned in slightly.
"And most importantly—don't you want to see how Kakashi is doing now?"
The moment Kakashi's name came up, the dullness in Sakumo's eyes faded. Concern and anxiety surfaced as he glanced at Feiyu.
"Kakashi… how is he now?"
Feiyu's expression darkened with worry.
"What do you think? The father he admired most suddenly died right in front of him—by suicide. And because of how you died, you can't even be honored on the memorial stone. Of course the blow was huge."
"Right now, he looks completely lifeless. Honestly, I think there's a real chance he'll follow after you."
Feiyu sighed heavily, as if truly troubled.
"And even if he survives this, after seeing what happened to you, he'll probably turn into someone who lives only for the mission. A perfect tool. No teammates, no bonds. Maybe he'll end up in something like Root—no emotions, no hesitation, just killing in the dark until the village throws him away."
"Then one day he dies alone in some forgotten corner, and no one even knows."
Sakumo visibly flinched. Even though he could hear the exaggeration in Feiyu's tone, the fear for his son hit him hard.
After dying, Sakumo had finally snapped out of the obsessive mindset that drove him to suicide. Thinking about Kakashi now filled him with deep regret.
His own death didn't matter.
But Kakashi… Kakashi was only eight or nine. Without a father, what kind of person would he become?
"Poor kid…" Feiyu continued, voice dripping with pity. "His father died because he chose to save a comrade. So the Kakashi of the future might become someone who values only the mission, not comrades at all."
Sakumo's expression twisted painfully. Even knowing Feiyu was manipulating him, he couldn't help worrying about his son.
"…Enough. Don't say any more." Sakumo finally clenched his jaw. "I'll cooperate with your technique. But you have to promise me—you'll look after Kakashi."
Feiyu's face lit up instantly.
"Of course, Sakumo-senpai. No problem at all."
"I can even let your soul take control of my body so you can see Kakashi yourself."
—
After making their agreement, Sakumo couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to see his son.
Feiyu didn't object. He immediately allowed Sakumo to possess his body and then slipped quietly into the Hatake residence.
Even using Feiyu's body, Sakumo could still exert elite jōnin-level skill. Moving unseen through his own home was effortless.
Seeing Kakashi sitting alone, expression empty, cold and withdrawn, Sakumo felt another wave of regret crash through him.
"Feiyu… do you have any way to help him? I'm worried."
Now you're worried? Where was that before?
Feiyu thought privately, but he knew that helping solve Kakashi's problem was the key to fully securing Sakumo's loyalty.
The issue was… Kakashi's trauma wasn't something that could be fixed easily.
The only real method was what happened in the original timeline:
constant interaction
companionship
rivalry
emotional support from people like Obito and Guy
Feiyu wasn't sure he could play the role of a hot-blooded idiot for years. And the time investment alone gave him a headache.
He rubbed his chin.
"Well, you're his father. Shouldn't you be better at helping him than I am?"
Sakumo's expression froze.
As Konoha's genius, Kakashi had always been the perfect child—disciplined, talented, self-motivated. He'd never needed emotional guidance.
And Sakumo definitely wasn't the "heart-to-heart dad" type.
"…Training him?" he said weakly.
Feiyu stared.
"Right. You're hopeless."
He sighed.
"If it were me… maybe I need to become Kakashi's rival."
In the ninja world, rivalries often forged the strongest bonds.
Naruto and Sasuke.
Hiruzen and Danzō.
Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
Even Kakashi's two closest friends—Guy and Obito—saw him as a rival.
Their relationship played a major role in pulling him out of despair.
The problem was… Feiyu had never really challenged Kakashi before. It was usually Kakashi trying to pick fights with him.
"This might be troublesome. I'm not exactly the passionate, hot-blooded type. But if I approach him out of concern, guiding him out of his slump won't look suspicious."
He paused, then grimaced.
"But without using the Soul Marshal, I still can't beat him."
Sakumo immediately understood the implication.
"I'll teach you my White Fang swordsmanship," he said without hesitation. "And my lightning and wind techniques. With your foundations, a little guidance is enough—you'll surpass Kakashi easily."
Feiyu's eyes lit up.
"It's a deal, Sakumo-senpai!"
He had been yearning for a proper high-level inheritance for a long time.
Although he carried the Uchiha name, he was a late addition to the clan. The true advanced techniques—Sharingan applications, elite ninjutsu, clan secret arts—had never been made available to him.
And because he bore the Uchiha name, getting outside teachings was also difficult.
Now, with Sakumo's soul in hand?
He not only had access to the White Fang's legacy—he had the teacher himself.
Using possession alone, he could slowly reverse-engineer the techniques.
But with Sakumo actively instructing him, his growth would be far faster.
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